INTRODUCING THE PROPHETS

God’s Nation became a kingdom in 1051 BC, with Saul, David, and Solomon each reigning 40 years. After this 120 years of the United Kingdom, Solomon died in 931 BC and the Kingdom divided into the Northern Kingdom of ten tribes, called Israel, and the Southern Kingdom of two tribes, called Judah. The Northern Kingdom of Israel immediately began calf worship, and soon began Baal worship. It was not long until this idolatry spread to the Kingdom of Judah.

During the time of the Divided Kingdom there was a power struggle among Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt for world supremacy. Assyria would capture and scatter Israel in 722 BC. So, after the Division, Israel lasted about 209 years (931-722 BC). Then Babylon gained world power, and it was Babylon who would take Judah into exile in 586 BC. So Judah survived about 136 years longer than Israel (722-586 BC). It was then Persia who became dominant in the world, and it was Persia who allowed Judah to return to Palestine after 70 years in captivity.

In the period of the Divided Kingdom, during the times of spiritual and moral decline in both kingdoms, God sent PROPHETS to be His spokesmen to the people. He put His words in their mouths - cf Deu 18:18. They were guided by the Spirit - 2Pe 1:21. The seventeen prophetic books can be folded back into the time of the kings, according to the date they wrote and the kingdom they addressed.

The Prophets warned that because of failure of the people to serve Jehovah, disaster was coming, and called the people to return to God. They “spoke for God” (a prophet is “one who speaks for another”) before the Babylonian Captivity, and then during and after the Captivity.

The seventeen Books of Prophecy (five “Major” and twelve “Minor”) cover a little more than 400 years from Obadiah in about 845 BC to Malachi in about 420 BC.

Prophecy was God’s revelation concerning the existing conditions, the needed correction, and the future prospects. The men preached a vital living message to their age, but for the most part they were either hated by their people, or just simply ignored.

Probably no Christians today hate the Prophets, but many of us have made the mistake of ignoring them. No one’s Bible knowledge can be complete or balanced without an acquaintance with the Prophets. Let us prayerfully and carefully examine them.

Note at the beginning that the Prophets are not in the Bible in chronological order, but rather in groups. The first five Books are Major Prophets (which means they are the longer books); the last twelve are Minor Prophets (which means they are the shorter books).